Home Skin Care Athlete’s foot: symptoms and treatment

Athlete’s foot: symptoms and treatment

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

Athlete’s foot is a fungal or yeast infection that affects the skin of the feet . The medical name for this condition is tinea pedis, and although it frequently occurs on the toes, it can also affect the heels, soles of the hands, and between the fingers. This type of ringworm infection is the most common and the fungus is usually contracted in warm or humid environments that stimulate its proliferation.

Most people get athlete’s foot from wearing plastic-covered closed shoes, keeping feet wet for a long time, going barefoot in public bathrooms or showers, perspiring excessively, or having an injury to the nail or foot. that has been poorly attended. Tinea pedis infection is caused in most cases by the dermatophyte fungus and is highly contagious; it can be passed from one person to another by direct contact or through shoes, socks, and swimming pools. In this FastlyHealarticle you can learn much more about athlete’s foot: symptoms and treatments .

Athlete’s foot symptoms

Athlete’s foot or jock itch is an infection caused by a fungus or yeast and as the microorganism proliferates, the infection on the skin becomes more evident. Among the main symptoms of athlete’s foot we find:

  • Cracked skin
  • The skin has scales that can be detached and it is more common to find them between the toes or on the sides of these extremities.
  • Redness on the skin.
  • Itching and burning.
  • Formation of blisters that may ooze fluid or form a scab.
  • When the fungus infects the nail, it can appear discolored and thick.
  • A toenail with athlete’s foot can become completely detached from the toe.
  • Athlete’s foot can occur on several toes at the same time and can even be accompanied by other skin infections.

Depending on the symptoms we can distinguish the type of athlete skin that has been contracted:

  • Chronic athlete’s foot : it is the most common and manifests with redness of the skin and constant itching that is stronger at night.
  • Hyperkeratotic athlete’s foot : The infection is recognized by the presence of cracks, scales and the thickening of the outer layer of the skin.
  • Athlete’s foot bladder-medium : vesicles or blisters are observed on the skin that should not be burst.
  • Ulcerative athlete’s foot : it is associated with the presence of another bacterial infection and is accompanied by ulcers between the toes that can affect more people with diabetes or a weakened immune system.

Athlete’s foot treatment

Tinea pedis is treated with topical antifungal medications that kill the fungus and stop it from spreading. These remedies can be found in powder or cream and are usually made with compounds such as clotrimazole, miconazole, and tolnaftate. It is advisable to use these drugs for at least two weeks or until the infection is completely disseminated, which in 65% of cases does not disappear completely and is activated again after two years. When this happens it is necessary to take oral antifungals .

The correct way to use antifungals to treat athlete’s foot is to apply it twice a day, every day, at night. Ideally, use the medicine in the morning before leaving home and at night before going to sleep. When the fungal infection is accompanied by a bacterial infection, it is necessary to treat athlete’s foot with antifungals and antibiotics that allow the bacteria to be eliminated from the body.

When athlete’s foot has ulcers or blisters that ooze fluid, it is important to combine treatment with diluted potassium permanganate baths twice a day to help the skin heal completely these lesions. Taking care of personal hygiene is extremely important to treat athlete’s foot and prevent its appearance, for this reason pay close attention to the following recommendations.

In the following FastlyHealarticle we explain what are the home remedies for foot fungus .

Foot care and hygiene with jock itch

Personal hygiene plays a fundamental role when you contract athlete’s foot, since it is necessary that the affected foot be as clean and less humid as possible to prevent the environment from being conducive to the excessive proliferation of the fungus. Therefore it is important that you carry out the following hygiene measures :

  • Keep your feet clean and dry especially between the toes.
  • Dry your feet thoroughly with a towel after bathing.
  • Wash your feet well with antibacterial soap and water at least twice a day.
  • Use sheep’s wool to widen and keep the space between your toes dry.
  • Wear clean socks and change them as often as necessary, like shoes, to always keep your foot dry.
  • Prefer footwear that leaves your foot outdoors, such as sandals.
  • Always wear sandals in pools, showers, or public restrooms.
  • Prefer leather shoes and avoid plastic linings.
  • It is not advisable to wear the same shoes every day.

How to prevent athlete’s foot

If we want to avoid contracting this infection again, it is important to carry out some actions that will help us prevent foot ringworm , such as:

  • Always dry your feet and between your toes well after each shower.
  • Avoid going barefoot in swimming pools and public baths.
  • Use talcum powder or antifungal powder on feet and shoes to prevent fungus.
  • Prefer cotton socks.
  • Never leave your feet wet or damp for a long time.
  • Change socks twice a day.
  • Always wash your feet and between your toes with antibacterial soap.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Athlete’s foot: symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Skin, hair and nails category .

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